


baby, you can't find a love like ours even in a dreamland

by aomgmob, suji



Category: AOMG Entertainment, Show Me the Money (Korea TV)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Puns, Body Worship, Daddy Kink, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, I dont even know what else, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Probably a lot of rated stuff, Rich Simon - Freeform, Spanking, Sugar Daddy, Teasing, a bit of angst, kind of, obviously, the ending is happy though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-08-08 23:48:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7778383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aomgmob/pseuds/aomgmob, https://archiveofourown.org/users/suji/pseuds/suji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon falls for a boy who dares to dream and hope and who has a heart that never seems to stop loving.<br/>He falls for a boy with tentative smiles and soft hair and gentle laughs.<br/>Simon falls and gives his all to the boy called Seonghwa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. i got no blurred lines, which is why i never fail

**Author's Note:**

> this started off as a bad dream where i had a sugar daddy in a pretty coat who took me pretty places. i then told my best friend of this dream and somehow it spiralled into a fic prompt that is now turning into an actual fic. this was honestly just a way for both of us to vent out all of our Ssamgray feelings. so, please enjoy this mess.

"You. Us. The club. Tonight. Yes."

"No. Not happening. Get out of my office."

 Simon sighs for what feels like the tenth time in the past minute. His friends, Jukyung and Hyukwoo, don't seem to understand that being the CEO of one of the biggest companies in Asia isn't exactly a walk in the park. Simon doesn't have time to go to clubs every other week and get drunk, he has papers to write, presentations to finish, and people to fire. He didn't get to be the CEO of Dominic Enterprise by partying everyday, he built his company up from scratch and that takes hard work and patience and responsibility. His idiot friends don't seem to understand what those words entail, and so they've bothered him everyday for the past month about going out and "seeing" new people. If Simon is being honest with himself, he can't remember the last time he tried flirting with someone, let alone _hooking up_ with someone (but his friends don't need to know that).

 "Simon, you've been holed up in this office for weeks now, it's starting to smell as if something died in here," Hyukwoo scoffs whilst slumping down onto Simon's leather couch, fingers tugging at Simon's _very_ expensive silk cushions.

 "Something did die; my will to have fun. Now please leave my office," Simon replies without looking up from his computer. He isn't even sure of what he is typing at this point; it might have been coherent at one point but he genuinely can’t seem to remember. Maybe he should go out with his friends, if only to get them off his back. Plus, fresh air has never killed anybody, although knowing his friends, the place they are going to most likely doesn't even have fresh air.

 

* * *

  
Simon was right. The closest to "air" that the club he's dragged into has is a mix of smoke and sweat and alcohol, all blending into an awful cacophony that already has a headache brewing in his head. He glares in disgust as a girl with locks of blonde hair and a smirk on her cherry lips sashays up to him, arms snaking around his biceps. She's obviously well over tipsy, judging by the way she sways and stumbles against Simon's chest. He grumbles under his breath but the girl just giggles, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

 I could see you -- _insert a hiccup here_ \-- staring at me from across the room. What's your name, handsome?" Simon cringes inwardly, wanting nothing more than to turn around and scramble for the exit that he _knows_ is mere _steps_ away. He doesn't, sadly, because he can see Jukyung glaring daggers from where he's already planted himself at the bar. Hyukwoo is out on the floor, dancing (it's really just grinding) with a group of bare-legged girls. It's like he knows Simon is watching him, because mere seconds later he glances up and gives him a stern look.

Simon surrenders. He decides that maybe, _maybe_ it isn't so bad to stay at the club for an hour or two. It's the least he can do after constantly nagging and insulting his friends. They're strong for sticking with him. With an annoyed sigh, he shakes the blonde off of his arm (she whines and nearly trips, not that he cares), instead heading over to the bar to hop onto a stool next to Jukyung.

 "I hate you."

 "Tell me something I don't know." Simon rolls his eyes, waving his hand at the bartender and ordering himself a shot of soju.

 "Did you know that it's actually _scientifically_ proven that social interactions can benefit one's well-being?" Jukyung takes a sip from his drink, smiling playfully at Simon. Simon nearly gags.

 "Did you know that it's actually _scientifically_ proven that I couldn't give any less fucks?" Simon inquires in return, tossing down the shot in one go. The liquid drips down his throat like molten lava, settling in his chest with a familiar burn. Jukyung raises an eyebrow and shrugs, taking another sip before hopping off of his stool.

 "I'm gonna head out to Hyukwoo, bye party-pooper." He raises a hand and ruffles Simon's hair condescendingly, earning him a growl and kick to the shin. He heads out to Hyukwoo with a limp in his walk.

 Simon sits there by the bar for a while, listening to the mixture of people laughing and the dull thumping of the music, ordering another shot just because he's bored. Another girl in a skimpy outfit who's had too much to drink wobbles up to him, clinging to his arm and mumbling something into his ear. Simon shakes her off, not even attempting at being polite. She frowns at him but quickly loses interest, disappearing off into the crowd. It's at this point that he decides to leave, he's been here nearly an hour and his friends should appreciate the fact that he tried. He gets up, downing the last of what's left in his glass before heading towards the door.

 It's easier said than done, and he ends up having to elbow three people and _gently_ push away an additional five. It's when his fingers have already wrapped around the handle of the door that the music is abruptly cut off, replaced by static crackling. It's almost as if a spell is cast over the entire club; people stop dancing and laughing and talking and singing, all silent. Simon briefly wonders if he'd be able to hear a pin dropping to the ground.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please give a warm welcome to tonight's fresh blood, Lee Seonghwa!"

 He doesn't know why he does it. He wants to _leave_ , wants to be _home_ instead of here. It's the only thing that's been on his mind the entire time he's been in this stupid club. His body, however, doesn't listen to what he wants, and in the following two seconds Simon has turned around and nearly swallowed his tongue. A guy has walked out on the small stage shoved up against the far wall of the club. It isn't easy to see across the sea of people, but Simon can make out sharp features and dark eyes, soft tufts of black hair styled in loose waves. The need to get out _right now_ bubbles up in Simon's chest like boiling water and he nearly turns to yank the door open, but then the guy-- Seonghwa -- lifts a microphone up to his lips and _dear God_.

A soft melody has started playing on the speakers and now he's _rapping_ and Simon's head is swimming. The voice that floats out amongst the music is so soft and calm and it laps at Simon's heart like warm ocean waves. He forgets to breathe as Sunghwa smiles and starts moving around on stage, naturally moving the crowd with him. He's wearing a hoodie three sizes too big, his jeans ripped enough to expose smooth, hazy skin. A strong will to _protect_ dominates over Simon.

He doesn't realize it when he starts battling his way through the crowd, doesn't realize it when he's suddenly three centimeters from the stage, doesn't even realize it when his cheeks flush as Sunghwa catches his gaze for half a second. All that he knows is that this man's voice is making flowers grow in his lungs and even though it's suffocating him, he wants, _needs_ , more. And what Simon wants, Simon inevitably gets.


	2. the end of this night is in your hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i knew the first time we met, you'd be kind of hard to forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter wasn't really longer than the previous one, but we promise the next one will be. PROMISE. thank you for reading!

Fuck. 

Simon is well and truly fucked. Not only has he stayed in the God awful excuse of a club despite wanting to leave mere minutes ago, he is now also sitting at the bar and nurturing his third bottle of beer. He keeps glancing at the stage, hoping to catch a glimpse of that beautiful angel, that exquisite looking boy.

Simon stayed for the entirety of his performance, hoping that after he was done he would come down from the stage and Simon would  _ smoothly  _ offer him a drink and his number. However, that ship seems to have sunk before it even set sail because it’s been 30 minutes and there is still no sight of the handsome boy.

Maybe the boy has already left. Maybe the boy already has someone at home waiting for him. Maybe the boy saw him and thought he was a creep. All these thoughts are running through Simon’s head; he’s so distracted that he doesn’t even notice a figure sliding up on the bar stool next to him. And he certainly does not notice the figure stretching out his hand to tap him on the shoulder.

“Hi. Quick question, are you going to finish that beer, or?” Oh, God. It’s the angel from before, and he’s talking to Simon. Shit. Simon panics and reacts without thinking, which in all honesty is not a good thing because he ends up shoving the beer bottle in Seonghwa’s face. Seonghwa looks confused for a moment, accepting the drink before he covers his mouth with his  _ sweater paw  _ and laughs quietly. It’s not condescending or patronising but rather soft and encouraging.

“So, I saw you in the crowd when I was performing and I gotta say…-“ Seonghwa continues talking but Simon  _ isn’t listening _ . Simon is busy looking at how soft Seonghwa looks, he’s busy taking in every little detail about him, from the way his hair curls around his forehead to his very  _ kissable  _ lips _. _

Simon once again makes a fool out of himself because his mouth seems to start moving before his thoughts have the time to catch up to him.

“Date me,” Simon says, and when the words finally do catch up to him he wants to curl up in a hole and die, because surely death is less painful than this train wreck of a conversation. Seonghwa doesn’t look like he wants to slap him though, which is a good sign, but he is also not replying, which is a bad sign. Shit. He should have stayed at home, he should  _ not _ have gone outside. When Simon finds his so called friends he’s going to absolutely-

“Always do like it when guys are blunt with me. How about you take me out first?” Thank them graciously and buy both of them five iPhones.  _ Each _ .

Simon starts nodding like some eager schoolgirl, neck already straining from how hard he must be nodding and he should probably, most likely, stop now.

“Here’s my number. Call me, I’ll be waiting,” Seonghwa says as he takes a napkin and pulls a pen out of his hoodie, quickly jotting down his phone number. Seonghwa slinks down from the bar stool and has the  _ audacity _ to wink at Simon before he disappears into the crowd. Is he not aware that Simon’s whole life just crashed and burned right in front of him? But Simon can't even be mad. Not when he has an angel's phone number in his hands, as well as a possible date with him.

“Hey asshole, did you miss us?” Jukyung all but shouts into Simon's ear as he slumps against him. Simon in turn shoves him into the chair left of him, using a little bit more force than necessary, but Jukyung doesn't fall down. Pity. Hyukwoo, on the other hand, calmly slides into the chair right of Simon.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I thought the answer was obvious.”

“So you did miss us.”

“And people say you aren’t funny.”

That earns Simon a slap against the back of his head and a displeased grunt from Jukyung. Simon isn’t even irritated by that; the napkin clutched in his hand serves him as a reminder of what happened not even five minutes ago. Hyukwoo must have noticed the napkin and the numbers that are written on it because he starts smirking and wiggling his eyebrows in a manner Simon finds highly uncomfortable and frankly, downright scary. He takes that as his cue to leave, but he doesn't even have time to properly stand up before he's roughly pulled back down by both his friends.

“Jukyung, are you seeing this? Our Simon got a  _ phone number _ . There’s still hope for him,” Hyukwoo whistles whilst patting Simon on the back, although it feels more like he's hitting him.

“My my, look at you  _ grandpa _ , you still got moves,” Jukyung grins, looking more smug than he has the right to.

“I hope both of you  _ die.  _ In the worst possible way. I was going to thank you guys graciously and get you five iPhones each. You can forget about that now, you bastards,” Simon grumbles, staring into his drink and wishing the ground would swallow him whole.

“Who’s number is it?” His friends continue on, acting as if he hasn’t said anything at all.

“I bet it’s that cute rapper. Seonghwa or something. You know, the pretty boy.”

“Ah yeah, it must be him, with the way Simon ran to the stage like a madman when he came onstage.”

“Didn’t know you had a thing for twinks, Simon.”

Simon thumps his head against the counter and wishes for death for what feels like the tenth time in the past half an hour. His friends seem to take pleasure from his pain though, as they both cackle and high five each other over his slumped form.

God. He needs new friends.


	3. anything for you; i will give you my all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i know you may be scared and i know we're unprepared but i don't care

It's three and a half days later and Simon is being terrorized.

"Tic tock, tic tock, tic-"

“Alright! I fucking get it, time goes on. Shit,” Simon grumbles from where he's slumped on the couch. He's hiding in his office, glaring daggers at his phone, as if it is the one responsible for the fact that he hasn’t called up Seonghwa yet.

“Tell me again why you haven’t called him? You _do_ remember that he actually _gave_ you his  number, which probably means he wants you to call him, right?” Simon directs his glare at Jukyung instead. Simon doesn’t even know what Jukyung is doing in his office, when he _should_ be working.

“I will fire you.”

“No, you won’t. Now pick up that phone and ask him out before someone else does.”

Simon grates his teeth at the words, but they spur him into action nevertheless. He hauls himself up from the couch, walking over to his desk where his phone is lying. Like hell he would let anyone else ask Seonghwa out.

“I’m going to do it,” Simon declares to himself. Jukyung drops down into the couch, stretching his legs out and smiling in an awfully evil way. Simon hopes he falls onto the floor.

He feels more pathetic than he's ever felt in his entire life when he taps in the number, fingers shaking slightly. The dial tone starts ringing three seconds later, and Simon holds his breath. Seonghwa picks up on the fifth ring, voice breathless.

"Hey, this is Seonghwa!" He answers, a bit too cheerily. Simon's heart lurches anyway, and he forces himself to take a steady breath before answering.

"Hi Seonghwa, it's Simon here. We met at the club?" He prays to everything near and dear that Seonghwa remembers him, that it wasn't just a joke to give Simon his number. That he wasn't too drunk to fully know what he was doing.

"O-Oh, Simon-ssi! Hey. I- I didn't think you were going to call." There's a tiny tremble in Seonghwa's voice and something warm spreads throughout Simon's chest. A smile tugs at the corners of his lips at the honorifics.

"Well it's good that I did, isn't it?" There's something like a soft whimper from the other end, and Simon bites his bottom lip. Seonghwa doesn't say any more after that, so Simon collects his nerves and braces for the worst.

"So I called because I'd like to take you out for din-"

"Let's go to an aquarium."

…

…

…

"A what?" _A fuck no is what._

"An aquarium. There's this one in Busan, called Sea Life aquarium or something. I've always wanted to go. Can you take me?" In _Busan_ . What the _fuck_ . There's a fucking hurricane inside of Simon and he _was not ready for this_ . He was going to take Seonghwa to a fancy restaurant and treat him like royalty. Win him over with good food and fine wine. Not _fish_ and dirty water.

"Why?" He asks stupidly. He does _not_ know how to deal with an aquarium. What the fuck is nice about aquariums? The first thing that comes to mind at the word is cramped spaces and an ever-present smell of sea. It is _not_ nice.

"Because fish are cool. And sharks are _really_ cool. Have you ever even been to an aquarium, Simon-ssi?" A shiver tingles down Simon's spine at the way his name rolls off of Seonghwa's tongue, and he clamps down on his bottom lip once again, tasting blood.  

"No, no I have not been to an aquarium. Or maybe when I was three years old. Can't really remember." Jukyung sniggers from where he's sprawled across the couch, and Simon reaches to grab an eraser from his desk, tossing it at his friend/colleague/nemesis. It barely grazes the younger's shoulder, and he shoots Simon an offended look. Simon sneers.

"Well, then. Let's go." Every part of Simon's being is telling him _no_ , say _no_ . But Seonghwa sounds so _enthusiastic_ , like he's actually been waiting his whole life to go to this aquarium, and Simon finds himself saying yes rather than no. He gets a small, nearly imperceptible "yay" and it's more of a reward than a reply.

"I'll pick you up at 12 then?" Jukyung has the audacity to snort at this, and Simon snatches up a pair of scissors, waving them in warning. "I dare you" is what he gets for this, and Simon mouths _I will fire you_ back. As if it's even a threat any more.

"Yep! That sounds good. I'll see you then.. hyung?" Seonghwa's voice is gentle and unsure, as if he's treading on broken glass. Simon doesn't notice the smile that stretches his lips, doesn't care at the way Jukyung is blatantly staring.

"You tell me. I'm 32," He answers, twirling the scissors around in his hand. From the first moment he saw Seonghwa, he figured the other was younger. He _looks_ younger, at least. Hopefully he actually is.

"Yeah, you're hyung then. I'm 24," Seonghwa laughs, and Simon doesn't know why but he lets out a laugh as well. Jukyung's eyes are wider than they've ever been in his entire life.

"Well alright then. See you tomorrow," Simon says, smiling as he does because _he's going to see Seonghwa tomorrow_.

"Bye, hyung! Sleep tight."

Even as the line goes dead, Simon is still smiling. He's smiling as he sinks down into the couch next to Jukyung. Jukyung looks borderline terrified, but Simon just smiles and gives him a light pat on the thigh.  
  
"We're going to an aquarium. _I_ am going to an aquarium. I have a _fucking_ fish tank in my office. I could buy ten _sharks_ if I wanted to. But no. I am going to the Sea Life _fucking_ aquarium."

Jukyung doesn't say anything, doesn't look at Simon, doesn't even breathe, just nods and tries to smile.

"I am going to krill somebody." There's a moment of silence, and neither of them say anything. It's only when Jukyung feels the couch shake slightly that he raises his head and finds Simon already looking at him, choking down laughter. It's _funny_.

"I need to go. I have lots of work to do," Jukyung says, nearly flying up from the couch. He doesn't even smile. _He could've smiled_.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. I'm sorry for that. I get a real good laugh when I lure people into fishing puns." Jukyung gives Simon a look he's given him countless times before, but Simon doesn't care. He has a date with _Seonghwa_ tomorrow. It's probably going to last the _entire_ day. Okay, so maybe it's at an aquarium, but does it even matter when it's in the presence of that beautiful boy? Simon figures it doesn't.

Simon is still smiling after Jukyung has left his office.


	4. when you look at me it feels like my heart will stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there's something in the look you give, i can't help myself i fall

Seonghwa is done and set and  _ ready to go _ two hours before Simon is supposed to pick him up. 

He'd sent the older a text message containing his address and five grinning emoji's, give or take. All he'd gotten in reply was a single thumbs up emoji. It was pathetic. Simon could do better. Seonghwa had stared at the thumbs up with a giddy smile on his face for at least 15 minutes. He was whipped.

The two hours pass by excruciatingly slowly. He paces, for a while, checking his outfit in the mirror ten times before deciding to change the gray t-shirt for a black hoodie. It looks like it's going to snow outside after all. He fiddles with his phone for a while, texting his friend Mintaek, who replies with a pleasant  _ fuck off I'm sleeping man _ . After that he decides to brush his teeth again, just in case, also taking some time to check himself in the mirror. 

It's this point that he decides to watch some TV. It's unproductive, but it calms the nerves that have been steadily building up throughout the day. He ends up watching two episodes of America's Next Top Model, dozing off half way through. He's woken up by his phone vibrating, a text from Simon lighting up the screen.  _ I'll be there in 5. _ Seonghwa springs up from the couch, rushing into the hallway to check his appearance. He flattens the few tufts of hair that have gotten ruffled, shrugging on his denim jacket and pulling on his boots. It takes a total of 2 minutes before he's standing downstairs, arms crossed and nose buried into his hoodie to shield against the cold wind. 

Seonghwa turns to the right at the sound of a car approaching and sees a black Rolls Royce roll up and  _ of course  _ Simon picks him up in a car like this.  _ Of course  _ it’s intimidatingly luxurious. 

A figure steps out from the driver's side and comes to Seonghwa's side, holding the door open for him whilst slightly tipping his cap.  _ Of course  _ Simon has a personal driver.

Seonghwa slinks into the car and mutters a quick “thank you” to the driver, who smiles and closes the door after him. Seonghwa turns and notices the way Simon is almost  _ sprawled  _ across the backseat, legs crossed. His entire frame is turned towards Seonghwa. 

“Hey, you okay?” Simon says, his ever so slight head tilt present as always. 

“H-Hi, hyung,” Seonghwa stutters out; he can feel his cheeks heating up.  _ Not  _ because of the way Simon is staring at him as if he’s the most beautiful thing in the world, but because it’s hot in the car.  _ Yeah definitely.  _ “I’m okay, it was just a bit cold outside.” 

Seonghwa isn’t expecting the arm around his shoulder but he welcomes it nonetheless. Something tugs at his heart and he can’t help but smile to himself. They sit in comfortable silence, just watching the scenery pass by. It’s when Seonghwa notices that they aren’t in the city anymore that he feels the need to break the silence because the train station is  _ certainly _ not on the highway. 

“Hyung, I think we passed the train station,” Seonghwa says carefully, looking at Simon. Maybe Simon just forgot that they were taking the train. 

“Yeah, so?” 

“Don’t we need the  _ train station _ to take the  _ train _ ?” 

“We’re not taking the train, darling.” The fuzzy feeling he gets from being called  _ darling  _ aside, Seonghwa is confused. Taking the train is way faster than taking the car, surely Simon must know that. Simon is probably used to luxury,  _ does he even know what public transport means,  _ Seonghwa isn’t so sure. 

“If we’re not taking the train then what are we taking?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Does Simon have to smirk  _ all the time _ , it’s driving Seonghwa up the wall. However, Seonghwa figures it’s pointless to ask Simon more questions, he will just respond with more cryptic answers.

The silence returns except now it's buzzing with Seonghwa's curiosity. The scenery is passing by and nothing is really catching Seonghwa's interest until the sign " _ Incheon International Airport _ " zooms by. 

Seonghwa guesses it's faster by plane anyway but Simon didn't have to go through all the hassle of getting him a ticket. Seonghwa feels kind of bad for dragging Simon to an aquarium, but sharks are just  _ really cool  _ and Simon has never even  _ been _ to an aquarium. What kind of person has never been to an aquarium; Seonghwa is really doing Simon a favour.

When he looks out the window again, though, he sees that they are actually driving past the drop off area and not stopping there. Now Seonghwa is really puzzled. Is Simon just showing him all the transports they _could_ have taken to Busan, when in fact they are just going to drive there by car? Seonghwa is so lost in thought that he hasn’t even realised they’ve stopped and Simon is rolling down his window and greeting a security guard.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Dominic. Where are you headed to this morning?” 

“To Busan, as a matter of fact.” 

“Your jet is ready and set to go, I believe. I wish you a safe and pleasant journey, Mr. Dominic.” Simon gave a quick “thank you” and rolls up the window again. The car rolls forward again, presumably towards Simon’s  _ private jet oh my god.  _

“Hyung, did he-Are we really taking a  _ private jet  _ to Busan?” 

“Of course. How else did you think we were getting there?” 

“By taking the train or a _public_ plane with other people.” Simon looks nearly disgusted when Seonghwa mentions the train, as if taking anything other than a private jet is offensive to him. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides, you deserve only the best.” Seonghwa can’t stop the blush he knows is creeping up on his face. Simon says it in such an obvious way, voice dropping a few octaves lower, as if it’s a fact that Seonghwa deserves the best. As if everyone should know this. Seonghwa’s heart lurches in his chest. 

“Speaking of the best, we’re here,” Simon says, giving Seonghwa a gentle tap on the shoulder as he slips out of the car. He watches as Simon walks around the car to Seonghwa’s side, opening the door for him. Seonghwa can’t help but gape when he lays his eyes on the jet. There’s nothing particularly unique about it; it looks like any other white private jet would, but the fact that Seonghwa is actually going to go  _ aboard _ this jet makes it ten times more frightening. It feels surreal. Normal people don’t take private jets to Busan. Although, Seonghwa always had a tiny inkling that Simon wasn’t exactly “normal people”. 

“Come along now, love. We don’t want the time or the plane to fly away from us,” Simon chuckles, guiding Seonghwa with a steadying hand on his lower back to the stairs of the jet. There’s even a  _ crew _ waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. 

They all bow and say a chirpy  _ Good afternoon, Mr. Dominic  _ to which Simon responds back with a bow on his own. Seonghwa makes sure to bow too. Simon looks at him and gestures with his hand, as if saying  _ after you,  _ and Seonghwa makes his way inside the plane with Simon right behind him. 


	5. i want you all around me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when i first saw you with your smile so tender, my heart was captured, my heart surrendered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter will be split into two parts since it's kind of a long date and we didn't want to cram it all into one short thing.. hope you enjoy!

The plane ride passes by faster than Seonghwa had expected. 

They don’t talk much, preferring to sit in a pleasant kind of silence. It’s nice. Seonghwa enjoys the view from his window, watching as the beautiful landscape stretches out beneath them. It’s a sunny day today and the sky is cloudless and endlessly blue. It doesn’t take long before he finds himself humming a gentle tune, lyrics fluttering and nudging at the edge of his mind. Bashfully, Seonghwa slips a tiny notebook out of his pocket. The pencil he has attached to the book is barely the size of his pinkie, used and chewed up. He flips open a blank page, scribbling down complicated words and short sentences, things he himself doesn’t really comprehend. They only ever seem to make sense when blended in with soft melodies and thumping basses. 

Seonghwa knows Simon is watching him. They’re sitting opposite from each other, so he supposes it’s hard to avoid. The gaze burns, makes his skin crawl and ripple with anticipation. He ignores it, forces himself to think strictly about the lyrics, the words his brain is finally allowing to flow. Simon doesn’t make it easy, tapping his foot rapidly against the floor of the plane. Five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds pass before Simon clears his throat, catches Seonghwa’s gaze.    
  
“What are you writing?” He inquires, and it’s innocent enough, but Seonghwa’s cheeks heat up involuntarily. He laughs nervously, glancing down at the chicken scratches in his notebook.

“It’s nothing. Just- Just my thoughts or whatever,” Seonghwa mumbles, closing the notebook. It wasn’t anything worthwhile anyway. 

“Do I get to read them?” Simon’s voice is serious, quiet and maybe even a little bit gentle. Seonghwa shakes his head, curls in on himself and turns his stare out the window again.   
“It’s- they’re nothing special. Nothing worth reading.”    
“I don’t believe that. But alright. I’ll give you your time.” Seonghwa wants to tell Simon that he doesn’t need time, that time won’t change anything. He wants to tell Simon that he  _ won’t _ change his mind. He never shows his lyrics to anyone. He doesn’t say any of it, and he isn’t quite sure why. 

The landing goes smoothly. Once they step off the plane, there’s a car waiting for them, right there on the runway. Simon opens the door for Seonghwa, of course, and Seonghwa slips in. He leans his head back and lets his breathing even out. It takes barely a minute before he’s dozed off.

It’s embarrassing, to say the least, having Simon shake him awake when they’ve arrived. He apologizes profusely, but Simon just chuckles, tucking a strand of Seonghwa’s hair back into place. 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Seonghwa worries, he always does, and so he grabs onto Simon’s hand and squeezes lightly. 

“I just- I get tired from travelling, but I’m awake now. I’m  _ not _ bored.” He feels like he has to justify himself, has to let Simon know that he  _ does _ want to be here. Simon doesn’t look like he’s ever doubted him though, because he breathes out another chuckle and there’s a fond smile dancing on his lips. 

“I believe you.” Simon’s voice is low and raspy and fills Seonghwa with such a strange warmth. He tucks a smile away beneath his hands, slipping out of the car before Simon has the chance to go around and open the door for him again. Simon doesn’t comment, simply steps out and thanks the driver, passing him a couple of bills.

The front of the aquarium is a paved walkway that leads up to a building wrapped in glass. There’s a second walkway, leading to what seems to be the beach, and a third one leading to another, slightly smaller, building. At the centre point of all walkways, and right in front of Seonghwa, is a huge sign with blue painted letters reading “Busan Aquarium”. There’s a shark statue rising up behind the sign, it’s jaws gaping wide open, ready to engulf the letters. It’s painted in white and grey and it looks so realistic Seonghwa feels his legs tremble with excitement. He remembers his “friend” (she had been a bitch, really) telling him all about her coming here with her family; how fun it had been, how unlucky  _ Seonghwa _ had been not to go. But now he is here, in the company of Simon, and he knows for a fact he is a quadrillion times happier than that girl.

Seonghwa startles when Simon takes his hand, tugging him along towards the bigger glass building. He lets himself get pulled along, too busy staring at the beauty of this place with wide eyes. There’s  _ bushes _ cut into the shapes of  _ dolphins. _ Seonghwa is amazed. 

The inside of the building smells the way most aquariums do, a mixture of saltwater and fish and hot air. Seonghwa doesn’t miss the way Simon wrinkles his nose, glancing around warily. He walks them over to the ticket booth / information desk, handing the lady behind the counter two slips of paper and mumbling something to her. Seonghwa doesn’t listen, let’s the words float past him as he watches people bustling down a pair of winding stairs. It’s  _ underground _ . 

Seonghwa is  _ so _ excited and Simon is taking too long. He gives his hand a couple of gentle tugs, whining quietly. It doesn’t help, so he goes for a different strategy. Softly, slowly, he rubs his thumb in circles onto Simon’s hand. After a second or two he continues tracing the circles up along Simon’s arm. He paints the night sky on Simon’s skin until there are tiny goosebumps prickling beneath his fingers. When he looks up, Simon is already staring at him, lips parted and breathless as if he had wanted to say something. 

“You ready to go?” Seonghwa asks, and he almost whispers the words because Simon’s eyes weren’t this dark before and there’s something brewing in the pit of his own stomach. Simon nods, barely, and Seonghwa pulls him along to the stairs. He skips down two steps at a time, Simon tumbling down behind him. The staircase leads down to a murky tunnel, wide with a high ceiling and gentle lights. They cast shadows across the floor and Simon’s face, highlighting pointy cheekbones and curved lips. Seonghwa allows his eyes to drift down only once, swallowing the sight of Simon wetting those lips with his tongue. It’s a tantalising sight, one that sends a whirlwind of butterflies throughout his body. He doesn’t know what this feeling is, isn’t accustomed to it. Isn’t sure whether he likes it or not. 

“Come on then,” Simon mumbles, and he smirks in a way that makes Seonghwa flustered and frustrated and enamoured all at once. He nods, grins up at Simon and lets himself be tugged along this time. The tunnel leads them to a small room, dimly lit with soft hues of blue. It’s cozy, with a bench and a wooden post that points to five different tunnels. There’s signs on the post, and scribbled on the signs are descriptions painted in white. 

“Let’s go there,” Seonghwa decides, pointing at the tunnel furthest to the right. He bounces on his heels, trying to catch a better glimpse of what is further ahead, but Simon holds him back.

“Why? Is it only cause the sign says there’s sharks that way? Do you really want to go there first?” Seonghwa pouts at Simon, because  _ yes  _ he wants to go there first. Why can’t he go there first? He essentially came here only for sharks, anyway. They stare at each other for a while too long, people nudging past them with annoyed sighs. It take some time, but Simon gives in eventually. Seonghwa has a feeling it hurts his pride, judging from the reluctant shrug and diverted gaze. It doesn’t really matter, though, because at least they’re going to see the sharks. 

The tunnel continues on until the crisscrossing bricks on the walls turn into glass and water and colour splattered sea plants. There’s small fish swimming by everywhere, turning and twisting through the water effortlessly. Seonghwa is blown away by their beauty, their existence. He presses right up by the glass, eyes wide like a little kid who’s just noticed a ice cream truck. He becomes so entranced that when a shark swims by, just inches away, he yelps and jumps and bumps into something broad and firm. It’s strange how he knows it’s Simon the second the person places his hands on Seonghwa’s hips, squeezing gently.

“I thought you were a diehard shark fan. Are you scared of them now? Seonghwa grumbles under his breath that  _ no,  _ he’s not scared, he just got a bit startled. Simon’s chuckles vibrate through Seonghwa, and Seonghwa doesn’t like it, doesn’t like the way it makes his heart beat too fast and his cheeks flare up. He turns around and glares up at the older as angrily as he can.

“If someone you love suddenly pops out and scares you, will you stop loving them and become afraid of them? Just like that?” Seonghwa asks, maybe a bit too heatedly. He crosses his arms over his chest and tries keeping his expression flat. It isn’t easy when he’s met with a soft smile and hands still squeezing at his hips. 

“No,” is all Simon replies with, but his voice is quiet and laced with something fond. Seonghwa shivers and he doesn’t know why. He doesn’t know why until he realises that the comparison he made wasn’t the best, not when they’re on a date right now. His cheeks flush for the second time in the past 5 minutes, and he turns his head to stare at the fish still swimming through the water, behind the glass. They remain as beautiful as before. 

Seonghwa turns his head and doesn’t notice that Simon is as entranced by him, as he is by the fish. 


	6. you're beautiful in every single way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you define beauty, with your beautiful mind and lovely your heart

They end up camping out in the shark section of the aquarium for an entire hour. Simon isn’t quite sure how it happens, although deep down he has a feeling it has something to do with pouty lips and puppy eyes and an irresistibly cute face. Whatever. He can’t deny the fact that the sharks are impressive to watch; they appear in hundreds of different colours and sizes, all cutting through the water with equal amounts of ease. They certainly live up to Seonghwa’s hype of them. 

It takes endless tugs and a whispered _please_ before Simon finally manages to whisk Seonghwa away to a different section of the aquarium. This one has squids and other strange things that are a whole lot less pleasing to watch than the sharks, and Simon attempts to drag Seonghwa through it as quickly as possible. His attempts are futile, because although Seonghwa isn’t stronger than him, he slithers out of his grip easily, running off to look at a crab. 

It’s sitting just inches away from the glass, and Seonghwa drops down into a crouch to stare at it. The crab stares back. 

Simon is suddenly hit by how incredibly unfascinating aquariums are. He briefly wonders what Seonghwa sees in them that he doesn’t; if there’s a deeper meaning behind it all. The thoughts are quickly washed away when Seonghwa tilts his head back to stare up at Simon, wide-eyed. The breath catches in Simon’s throat, choking him for a split second as Seonghwa’s lips split in an equally wide grin. Simon only realises Seonghwa is speaking to him when the younger bumps his leg gently. 

“Are you even listening to me?” Seonghwa pouts, tugging at the sleeve of Simon’s jacket. Simon averts his eyes to stare at the crab in a pathetic attempt to calm the beating of his heart.   


“Yeah, I am. You said that crabs are your second favorite “marine” animal or whatever that fancy word was.” Simon can’t deny that he’s proud when he sees Seonghwa’s lips parting slightly, in surprise. He stays silent for a while, before standing up next to Simon.

“Fine. You win…” Seonghwa trails off, and Simon notices the other is still holding on to his jacket. His heart picks up it’s pace again, and he glances sideways at Seonghwa. 

“What do I win?” He asks softly, watching as Seonghwa fidgets in place. He tugs on Simon’s jacket again, almost imperceptibly. There’s a pout to his lips still, and Simon can’t tear his eyes away this time. He wants to kiss those lips, kiss them and bite them until they’re cherry red and slick with spit. Seonghwa looks up at him through his lashes, licking his lips ( _of course_ he has to lick his lips) and smiling shyly. 

“I dunno. What do you want? You- You can have whatever you want, hyung.” Simon stares for half a beat too long and a tinge of pink dusts across Seonghwa’s cheeks. Their eyes mingle in a dance of cautious attraction, and in the silence Seonghwa licks his lips again.

“Okay, then… Can I crab your ass?” There’s nothing but silence for a while, and Simon can almost hear the seconds ticking by. He has time to half regret it, but then Seonghwa bursts out laughing and the sun creeps out from behind the clouds. It’s a whole hearted laugh, one that shakes his body and flushes his face red. Simon can only watch in awe as Seonghwa literally doubles over, gasping and hiccuping. It’s probably the first time that someone has ever laughed at one of his stupid jokes, and Simon finds his lips tugging up into a smile. 

It takes some time, but eventually Seonghwa manages to calm down. He gives Simon’s arm a gentle slap, whining about how people must think he’s weird now. They bicker for a bit, but Simon is soft and Seonghwa’s eyes are crinkled around the corners. 

They continue on down the next tunnel after that, a kind of silent agreement falling down upon them. The silence is pleasant, and Simon basks in it. Seonghwa walks closer to Simon than he had before, fingers brushing past his every now and then. It sends a ripple of heat up Simon’s body every single time. 

There isn’t that much more of the aquarium to explore after that. Or perhaps there is, but Seonghwa isn’t all that interested as none of the further sections include sharks or crabs, and Simon really doesn’t mind leaving early because he finds himself more and more distracted by the gentle curve of Seonghwa’s lips, finds that he wants to explore what they taste and feel like on his own lips. 

Seonghwa finds a back exit tucked away behind a curtain of dewy vines. They probably aren’t allowed to leave through here, if the bold STAFF ONLY letters printed on the door are anything to go by, but Simon keeps his mouth shut. A smile has been plastered onto Seonghwa’s face for the past two hours now, and Simon doesn’t want to be the one to ruin that. 

It turns out that the door leads straight down to the beach, and suddenly the smile on Seonghwa’s lips turns into a bubbly laugh that climbs high into the crispy winter air. There’s barely any people out here, and Simon finds that he prefers this setting to the stuffy aquarium. 

The waves lap lazily at the shoreline, melting the little snow that has managed to cover the sand. It crunches pleasantly when they walk, and Seonghwa takes a small, giddy skip. Simon’s heart clenches, and maybe it’s the fresh air that makes him braver, because before he has the time to doubt himself he reaches out and grabs Seonghwa’s hand in his, squeezing tightly. The younger’s hand is small in his, soft and icy cold. Simon rubs his thumb against smooth skin, smiling when he sees Seonghwa duck his head to hide a redness on his cheeks that most definitely wasn’t there before (a redness Simon knows isn’t caused by the biting cold of the wind). 

They wander along the stretch of the beach for what feels like hours, until the sun starts to melt out of the sky, slouching heavily against the sea. The clouds are yellow and blue and grey and it’s colder than ever but there’s a warmth inside of Simon that can’t be doused. Seonghwa is in the middle of his fifth story yet, and it’s about that one time that he found “the cutest puppy ever” out on the street. He’d wanted to keep it _so_ bad (in Seonghwa’s own words), but his parents hadn’t been on board. It’s a sad story, as opposed to the other, happier ones, and Simon isn’t surprised to find tears in Seonghwa’s eyes when he glances sideways. 

“It’s just sad to think that she had to continue living out on the street,” he sniffles, “even though I had the chance to help her. But I couldn’t.” Seonghwa smiles sadly, and when he meets Simon’s eyes a tear breaks free, landing on his top lip. He sniffles and turns his head away, laughing softly.

“I’m sorry, it’s a stupid thing to—“ Simon grabs Seonghwa’s chin with gentle fingers, turning his head back up so that their eyes can meet again. There are still tears twinkling there, like stars in two dark pools of the universe. The breath is knocked out of Simon’s lungs and he realises it seems to happen quite frequently when he’s around Seonghwa. The pale sun casts dancing shadows across the younger’s face, highlighting his cheekbones and jawline and the arch of his brows. Simon wants to trace that skin with his tongue and pepper kisses on that nose and chin and cheeks. And those lips. They’re irresistible now, red and wet with tears. 

“It’s not a stupid thing to be sad over. It’s a human thing; a _sweet_ thing. It means you have a heart, Seonghwa. It means you care.” Seonghwa laughs breathlessly, averting his eyes yet again in favour of looking down at the ground. Simon sighs, because he knows the younger most likely doesn’t believe in the word’s he's told him. Carefully, he leans down, bringing his lips to a rest just inches away from Seonghwa’s cheek. 

He can almost hear Seonghwa’s heartbeat from here, can see the wet trails that the tears have left behind. When Seonghwa doesn’t flinch away, he moves closer and closer until his lips bump into the cool, rosy skin of Seonghwa’s cheek. He plants a small kiss there, lingering for a few seconds. The taste of salt stays on his lips as he moves to kiss the other cheek. 

“What I’m saying is true. I may not have known you for all that long, but I _do_ know this. You’re kind and you obviously love animals, and it’s normal for you to get emotional over this because the welfare of that puppy was very important to you. And yes, we don’t know how that puppy is doing now, but you need to understand that you tried your best, and you stopped to feed her when no one else did. Okay?” This time Seonghwa doesn’t look away, just stares up at Simon with bewildered eyes and parted lips. He mumbles something under his breath, something Simon doesn’t hear, and then nods. 

He nods and then he’s reaching up, placing his hands on either side of Simon’s neck. Quickly, he presses their lips together. It lasts for barely a second and it’s nothing more than a peck, but it shoots fire into Simon’s veins nevertheless. The sun has dipped beneath the sea by the time Seonghwa pulls away completely. He grabs Simon’s hand and tugs him along as if nothing has happened. Simon wants nothing more than to whisk Seonghwa off of his feet and kiss all of the air out of his lungs, but uncertainty holds him back. Seonghwa would have kissed him properly if that was what he wanted to do now. 

Instead, Simon squeezes Seonghwa’s hand gently, pulling him along to a cafe perched on top of a hill above the never-ending sand. There he orders them hot drinks and finds them a corner booth with the view of the glassy sea and the blistering red sky. 

Seonghwa gapes in awe at the breathtaking landscape, laughing when Simon comments that the view from his penthouse is better. They argue back and forth between gentle laughs, until Simon settles back in defeat and wonders if perhaps Seonghwa _is_ right. Although the bustling metropolis that stretches far from under Simon’s balcony has the tendency to take ones breath away, Simon decides that he’s never found it half as mesmerising as he finds Seonghwa now, sweater paws wrapped around a mug of hot cocoa and eyes lost somewhere within the flaming horizon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was A LONG TIME COMING. I'm so sorry it's been so delayed, school has literally been killing me :( please please forgive me and I hope you found Ssamgray (or should I say SimG now ??) on a date cute and uplifting ^^


	7. sometimes i think of you and smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you are the sunlight on a winter's day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is SO overdue it's not even funny, and I'm truly, very, extremely sorry. school has been pretty hell-ish (mocks my dudes). I really hope you enjoy this chapter and I promise (100% PROMISE) that the next chapter will be up within 14 days <33

 It's a lazy kind of day and Seonghwa feels _soft_. Too soft to be alone. He wants to be curling up in someone's lap, resting his head on someone's shoulder, wants a steady hand to draw patterns on his back until he falls asleep. It's almost noon and he still hasn't managed to roll out of bed. It's a Sunday, one of his only days off from work, the only time he ever gets to sleep past 7:00 am. His plans were originally to lie under the covers for half of the day, maybe force himself to make some food at 4 pm, before slipping back into the bed at 6. It had been a solid plan. Probably even one of his best plans. But now it's as well as ruined.

 Seonghwa can't stop thinking about _him_. 

  _Simon_. 

 Simon, with the dark eyes and darker voice. Simon, who always seems to have his head slightly tilted. Simon, who's nose scrunches far too adorably when he laughs. Simon, who had stared at Seonghwa when he was performing like he was the one to hang all the stars in the night sky. 

 Seonghwa groans as he rolls over, burying his face into the pillows. It's so _stupid_. _He's_ so stupid. He hasn't been this— this infatuated with someone for a long time. A very long time. 

 They've only met two times.

 Two times where Simon had stared at him until his skin scrawled in the most pleasurable way. Two times where he had laughed and Simon had looked like his breath had just been knocked out of him. Two times where Seonghwa had found his eyes trailing down to those lips- 

 His phone lets out a soft _ping_ from the bedside table, abruptly cutting off his thoughts. For half a second, half a minute, half a lifetime, Seonghwa lies there with his face smushed in the pillows because he's too scared to look. He's too scared to be disappointed, to have had hope when there was no chance. But then the fear is overpowered by curiosity and want and desperation and _need_. Seonghwa snatches his phone up, swiping at the screen with trembling hands. 

  **From: hyung <3  12:54**

_Hey, I'm taking you on another date tomorrow. What time are you free? _

 It's the first text he's sent Seonghwa since they met, since the date, since _ever_. There's something demanding about the text, something dominant, and it sends goosebumps across his flesh and a flame into the pit of his stomach. For a while, he sits there twiddling his thumbs, pretending like he has to check his schedule or think about this gravely. He tries to seem less desperate than he feels.

  **To : hyung <3  12:57**

_hi hyung!! I have work until 5 but then I'm free :)) what were you thinking? _

 Seonghwa hops out of bed, throwing open his closet and staring at the options he's given. They aren't amazing; rather depressing actually, but after ten minutes of rummaging and debating, he picks out a satisfactory outfit. Frankly, it's a _hell_ of a lot more than satisfactory, and he can't wait to make Simon drool. Already feeling a lot more happy and awake, Seonghwa scoops his phone up from the bed and unlocks it. The message that stares back at him sends butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

  **From : hyung <3  12:58**

_You'll just have to wait and see, babe. I'll pick you up at 7. _

 There's a tiny lurch in his heart as he re-reads the word _babe_. Suddenly he's five hundred times needier than before and the fact that the date is only tomorrow is annoying. He locks and unlocks his phone, pacing back and forth in his room. Why does it have to be tomorrow? Why not today? It's still before noon, there's plenty of time. Frustrated, Seonghwa unlocks his phone for the fiftieth time, sending off a message he regrets the second it's been delivered. 

  **To : hyung <3  13:01**

_do u wanna meet up today too? we could go to a coffee shop? _

 Seonghwa slams his head against the door. The pain that shoots through his forehead is enough for him to yelp, but he doesn't care. He knows he's ruined it now, ruined it with his stupid, non-existent filter and _stupid_ , needy personality. Just like last time. 

 When a reply doesn't come in the following five minutes, Seonghwa decides to throw his phone back into the bed and leave the room. There's regret and sadness and so much guilt welling up inside of him he feels like he might just explode. 

 He doesn't explode, in some miraculous way, but rather wanders laps around his tiny apartment, staring out every single window he has for at least five minutes each before going into the bathroom to take a shower. The shower he takes is long, the longest he's had in months, and when he finally steps out the bathroom is hotter than a sauna and the mirror is steamed over. After the shower he makes some lunch, although it's sad and pathetic and consists of cheap instant noodles. 

 He does a million different things just to waste time, and it's only once he's finally run out of useless things to do that he begrudgingly shuffles back into his room. Slowly, he picks up his phone, unlocks it, stares. In fact, he doesn't stop staring for nearly a minute because his brain can't seem to process the words displayed on the screen.

  **From : hyung <3  13:14**

_  Sure. Meet you at Coffee Temple at 2 then? _

 Seonghwa loses every ounce of interest in wasting time, tossing on clothes and brushing his teeth in record time. He's out the door in less than ten minutes, hurrying down the street towards the coffee shop. The air is cold, biting at his nose and ears, pinching his cheeks rosy pink. 

 When he arrives it's ten to two and Simon is already outside, waiting for him. He's wearing a thick, wooly scarf that covers up half his face and black leather gloves. His coat is pitch black and it clings to his body so, _so_ deliciously. Seonghwa has to physically prepare himself before approaching, tapping Simon's shoulder lightly. 

 "Ehrm, h— Hi. You didn't have to wait out in the cold." Simon looks down at Seonghwa, a small smile ghosting over his lips. 

 "It's fine. I just came here a few minutes ago. Want to head inside?" Seonghwa nods, cheeks flushing even more as Simon places his hand at the small of Seonghwa's back, leading him. 

 The two order their respective drinks, and Simon pays for both. Seonghwa tries to stop him, but it's a weak attempt that Simon easily pushes aside. Seonghwa notices a strange, sideways look from the barista and smiles sheepishly. _Maybe he's jealous_. Once they have the two cups (Seonghwa orders a hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream, Simon a simple black coffee), they slip into a corner booth by the window. They sit in silence for a while, sipping and staring. 

 It's started snowing outside, and Seonghwa is enraptured by the tiny snowflakes that float through the air, despite the warm glow of the sun. He can feel Simon’s eyes on him, he thinks, or maybe it’s just wishful thinking. The conversation starts flowing after a while; they’re both tip-toeing, treading cautiously. It's good, though. It doesn't feel awkward, and Seonghwa is thankful.

 There aren’t too many people in the cafe, and a muffled silence falls around them. It’s almost as if they’re the only people in the entire world. Simon certainly makes him feel special in the way that he devotes all of his attention to Seonghwa, eyes never leaving the younger’s face. When Seonghwa accidentally smears some whipped cream onto the corner of his lips, Simon reaches a hand out, wiping it off with his thumb.. It takes all of Seonghwa’s willpower not to crawl over the table and straddle Simon right there and then. He thinks he might, on multiple occasions, but faraway glances from the barista keep him in his seat. 

 It’s when they're almost done, Seonghwa scraping the remaining marshmallows onto his spoon, that something strange happens. The barista walks over, asking if he can collect their cups, and they both nod their heads. The barista scoops Simon’s cup up, turning towards Seonghwa to do the same. Except, he doesn’t. He stops, eyes tracing the features of Seonghwa’s face. When he finally does go to take the empty cup, his fingers graze Seonghwa’s, and the Seonghwa _knows_  that it isn't an accident. It’s weird, and he thinks Simon notices too, because the older coughs a bit too loudly. The barista bows his head slightly, but his eyes linger on Seonghwa. 

 Once he’s gone, Seonghwa stares down at his hands for a minute or two before meeting Simon’s hard stare. 

 “What was that about? Did you know him?” His voice is steely and compact, and it sounds like he’s clenching his teeth. Seonghwa shivers. 

 “No. I’ve never met him before…” He trails off for a bit, shrugging, “…He probably just thought I was someone he knows or something.” 

 It’s a shitty explanation for the whatever had just happened, but Simon gets the hint and moves on. They talk for a bit more, about Seonghwa’s producing and their respective hobbies, but Seonghwa still feels watched, in a terrible skin crawling type of way. 

 “Wanna get out of here?” Seonghwa is more than thankful when he meets Simon’s gaze, nodding exasperatedly. His eyes keep trailing back to the barista who is still peering at him from behind the counter. He’s happy to get out of the cafe.

 The chilly winter air crashes into them like a wave as soon as the door opens, snowflakes tumbling down onto their faces and tangling themselves into their hair. Simon laughs when Seonghwa sneezes and shakes his head to get the snow off of him. He wishes he’d brought a scarf when the wind picks up and sends shivers down his spine. 

 They wander for a bit, both equally reluctant to leave the other. It’s Simon who talks the most this time, babbling on about his family back in Busan, about the cat he’d used to own, about all things mundane. Seonghwa’s eyes drift from Simon’s eyes to his lips and back again, and he decides it’s not really his fault for not hearing everything that the other says. 

 “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” 

  Seonghwa blushes involuntarily when he recalls his initial thoughts of never even leaving bed. He doesn’t tell Simon that, though, opting to shrug and re-direct the question back at the older. 

 "Don’t really have any plans. I’m officially off work on Saturdays and Sundays, but it’s really only on Sundays that I can manage to get some peace and quiet.” 

 Seonghwa worries at his bottom lip; has he disturbed Simon’s day off? Before he can delve any deeper, Simon’s laugh cuts his thoughts short— “It’s a nice change of pace though,” he motions his hand at the two of them, “this.” Seonghwa blushes again, deeper this time, and he fidgets with the hems of his sleeves because _does this mean they are A Thing_? He’s pretty sure it does. 

 It doesn’t take much longer before they’ve reached Seonghwa’s apartment building. He isn’t really sure how they've ended up here, but now that they have Seonghwa wants to go back. They stop, facing each other, and Seonghwa fishes his keys out of his jacket pocket, albeit reluctantly. He feels Simon watching him, eyes tracing his face. It makes his palms sweat and his tongue dry up in his mouth. He wants to ask if Simon wants to come up for a cup of coffee, but he realises it’s stupid and that they’ve just come from a coffee shop. _Don’t be desperate_. 

 “You’re going to catch a cold if you keep dressing this way.” 

 Simon’s scarf is in his hands, and suddenly he’s reaching out to wrap it around Seonghwa’s neck, fluffing it up and making sure that it covers any bare skin. Seonghwa’s ears and cheeks burn, and he nearly lets out a gasp when Simon’s hand travels to the back of his neck, fingers curling around the tiny strands of hair. Simon's gaze is on Seonghwa's lips, his eyes dark. The air around them feels heavy, the sound of traffic and people chattering dulled into background noise by the pounding of Seonghwa’s heart. 

 “Do you worry about me?” It’s the boldest thing Seonghwa’s ever said. His hands tremble and he has to bite down on his bottom lip to keep it from trembling, too. Simon’s eyes crinkle up at the corners and he lets his hand drop, curling both arms around Seonghwa’s waist. 

 “Sometimes. You make it hard for me not to, darling,” he smiles gently, “But then again, I worry about a lot of things.” 

 Seonghwa barely hears the last sentence. Simon worries about him. That’s fine. Seonghwa hasn't had someone worry about him for a very long time now. He opens his mouth to tell Simon off, but Simon cuts him short.

 “Anyways. I was asking about your plans because I was wondering if you’re able to come over for dinner?” 

 Seonghwa has work early in the morning, and if there’s fancy dinner with fancy _Simon_ , he has a feeling that wine or something of the sort will be involved. Is it a good idea? Most definitely not.

 Maybe it’s because of the way that Simon’s arms are still wrapped around his waist, or the way that he can smell Simon’s cologne from the scarf, but he finds himself nodding nevertheless. It’s not the first time that Seonghwa has been convinced ( _manipulated_ ) into something by Simon, and he has a feeling it won’t be the last. 

 Simon grants him a small smile as he shoves one hand back into his pocket, keeping his other at the small of Seonghwa’s back. “My car’s this way,” he murmurs, and Seonghwa’s skin prickles with goosebumps. His worries fade, brushed away by the warmth of the man beside him. He’s happy, truly, genuinely happy, and he finds that doesn’t really care about the overbearing stress of work. He'll deal with it later. When Simon glances down at him, and their eyes lock, his heart stutters and he basks in the grin that Simon can’t seem to keep off of his face. Yeah, he'll definitely deal with it later. 


	8. when will you be mine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooooow this chapter was a long time coming. I'd like to apologise to all the readers who have been waiting and wanting more updates. life gets in the way sometimes, altho that's no excuse :/ i'm sorry and i hope this chapter will give a bit of redemption <3

Simon’s penthouse is everything that Seonghwa had expected it to be and more. 

The elevator ride up is silent, air thick with anticipation. Seonghwa uses the time to attempt to collect his thoughts, fingering at the hem of his hoodie. His mind is in over-drive. Is Simon going to ask him to stay after dinner? Is Seonghwa _ready_ to stay? A gentle touch at his elbow breaks him out of his thoughts, and when he glances to the side, there’s a slight curl at the corners of Simons’ lips. It grounds Seonghwa, and he finds himself smiling back, effortlessly, reaching out to entwine his hand with Simons’. 

It’s less awkward after that, and Seonghwa finds it easier let himself laugh, let his hands and lips wander. It takes some time for Simon to unlock the front door, chuckling as he pries himself from Seonghwa. Once inside, Seonghwa kicks his shoes off in less than second, embarrassingly desperate for Simon’s touch. Simon is more patient, though, and he tuts softly, grasping Seonghwa’s wrists and giving his cheek a small kiss. 

“What do you want to eat?” He asks, turning and striding off into the apartment. Seonghwa trails after him, a lost puppy following his master. He opens his mouth, intending to tell Simon that anything is fine, but the words never make it out. The penthouse is _huge_ , open-spaced and designed immaculately. The hallway leads straight into the living room, and Seonghwa feels his breath get knocked out of his lungs as he takes in the windows that stretch all the way from the floor to the ceiling. From here he can see the entirety of Seoul, endless buildings splattered out across the ground below him. Simon chuckles, grazing his fingers along Seonghwa’s arm. 

“I told you the view was magnificent.” Seonghwa rolls his eyes, but Simon is right. The sun has already started to set in the distance, pale clouds mingling with the opalescent sky. Seonghwa can almost imagine himself perched on the sofa with a cup of tea, watching the sunrise at dawn. Maybe Simon would be there too, talking about his upcoming day at work, asking Seonghwa to tie his tie for him. He pushes the thoughts away, forces himself to keep his emotions in check. 

They head into the kitchen, and it almost doesn’t surprise Seonghwa how gorgeous it is. The counters are all black marble, glimmering in the soft yellow lights, lined with small herbs that make the room smell faintly forest-y. Simon tells him that he usually has a personal chef who cooks for him ( _of course_ ), so if Seonghwa wants they can call him and request something. But Seonghwa doesn’t really want that. He can’t help imagining that a cooking session with Simon could lead to all sorts of interesting and — _fun —_ things. 

So he shakes his head, snatching a recipe book off of a small stack tucked away in the corner of the room before sliding into a tall stool by the bar. He flips through the book, briefly glancing over pictures of gleaming steaks and steaming potato slices. Simon lingers by the sink, fishing a cutting board out of a drawer, along with a knife and some other tools. Seonghwa keeps flipping through the pages, but his attention falters as he feels Simon walk up behind him, leaning down over him and pointing at something in the book. 

“That looks good doesn’t it? And it’s only supposed to take twenty minutes.” 

Seonghwa nods, gulping as he feels the short, warm bursts of Simon’s breath on his exposed shoulder. It takes a second for him to focus his gaze on the page in front of him. It’s some sort of stew with vegetables and pork, nothing extremely fancy, but Seonghwa figures it’s a safe choice to go by. He stands, awkwardly manoeuvring around Simon in order to reach the refrigerator. It’s surprisingly well-stocked, stacked with different kinds of meats and vegetables and cheeses, all neatly sorted on their designated shelves. Seonghwa grabs the necessary items before bumping the fridge door shut with his elbow. He turns, only to come face to face with Simon. 

“Need any help there?” He mumbles, and Seonghwa feels his cheeks heat up. He nods, although he’s fine, really, and Simon gently plucks a few of the vegetables out of his arms. “Are you a good cook?” 

Seonghwa snorts at the question, because _no_ , he’s really not. Everything always ends up either burnt or soggy, and the few times he’s made it right it’s been with the help of his _mom_. 

“I take that as a no?” From here, Seonghwa can’t see Simon’s face as he rinses the veggies, but he _knows_ theres a smile on the older’s lips. 

“Maybe not _good_ , but I’d like to think I’ve gotten _better,_ ” Seonghwa pouts, and when Simon glances over his shoulder, he smirks, nodding knowingly. 

“Practice makes perfect, yeah?”

The two cook in relative silence after that, the sound of the sizzling pan and the humming of the radio filling the air with a pleasant coziness. There’s some giggles from Seonghwa, too, when Simon’s hands find themselves on the younger’s waist or when he winks at him from his position by the stove. It’s relaxing; without a doubt the best Seonghwa has felt in _months_. 

When the food is done and they've set the table, Simon, living up to Seonghwa’s expectations, brings out a bottle of red wine with a sly smirk. He pours them both a gracious amount, and when they take their first sips, Seonghwa stifles down a giggle. 

The food and wine is good, but, cheesy as it is, the company is better. 

Seonghwa knows that this might be the dumbest thing he’s ever gotten himself into. There’s no way for him to know what Simon is after; what _anyone_ this loaded and handsome could want with someone like _him_ is completely beyond him. But when Simon tells Seonghwa that the food probably only turned out this good because the younger is here, when he reaches a napkin out to dab at the corner of Seonghwa’s mouth, shoulders shaking, and most of all, when he actually _listens_ to Seonghwa when he speaks, half hidden behind his hands, all of Seonghwa’s walls crash and burn to the ground. 

By the time their plates are clean, Seonghwa’s head feels light and there’s a warm buzz in his chest. He thinks he could sit here like this forever, with Simon’s eyes on him, but it’s getting late and he’s still unsure of where they stand. He pushes his chair back and begins collect the dishes, but a gentle sound of protest stops him in his tracks.

“I have people who’s jobs it is to take care of that,” Simon murmurs, and his eyes are dark as he takes Seonghwa’s wrist between his fingers, “Keep those hands soft.” Seonghwa blushes ferociously, averting his gaze as Simon tugs him closer and closer and closer, until his knees bump into Simon’s, and the older has to tilt his head back to look up at him. They stay like that for a while, staring at each other, until Seonghwa feels like he might spontaneously combust. 

Slowly, giving Simon time to protest, he lowers himself into his lap. When Simon doesn’t say anything, just stares at Seonghwa with that dark expression in his eyes, Seonghwa leans into the older, gently catching his lips with his own. 

Simon is quick to respond. His hands press roughly into Seonghwa’s hips as he kisses and licks into his mouth. The room is suddenly twenty degrees too hot and Seonghwa feels like he might implode. Simon’s mouth tastes like wine and salt and something he can’t put a word on — when they break apart for air, Simon’s lips are red and plump and there’s something in those eyes that says he could _devour_ Seonghwa right there and then. A shiver steals down Seonghwa’s spine and when he can feel his cheeks flushing hot, he ducks his head into the crook of Simon’s neck and nips at the skin gently. 

Simon groans softly, and one of his hands card their way into Seonghwa’s hair, yanking _hard_. 

When Seonghwa meets Simon’s gaze, the older presses their lips together in a fast, hard kiss. His pupils are blown wide and he looks a little bit like a madman.

“Do you want to do this?” 

Seonghwa’s heart is beating a bloody tattoo into his chest and suddenly the question paired with Simon’s gaze is too much to handle — he ducks down again, but this time a firm grip in his hair stops him. A moan slips past his lips before he can bite down on his tongue, and he feels his cheeks burning even hotter from the embarrassment. There’s a few beats of silence, and then Simon is licking into Seonghwa’s mouth all over again, and they’re both moaning and gasping and desperately trying to find purchase within each other’s bodies. 

It’s Simon who pulls away first. His chest is rising and falling in rhythm with Seonghwa’s heart, and when the younger finally dares glance up at him, there’s a sideways smirk playing at his lips. 

“Well?” 

Seonghwa is about to ask him _well what?_ when he realises he still hasn’t answered Simon’s question. He ducks his head again — it’s quickly becoming a trend — and plays with the hem of Simon’s white dress shirt. He mumbles a quiet _yes_ under his breath, but apparently that doesn’t satisfy Simon because he grasps Seonghwa’s chin between his fingers and tilts his head up until their gazes meet. 

“I didn’t hear you.” Simon is _toying_ with him; there’s a full blown smirk on his lips and the corners of his eyes are crinkled in amusement. Frustrated, Seonghwa frowns and leans forward, nipping at Simon’s bottom lip as he nods. 

“Yes. Yes I want to do this with you,” He takes a breath and presses the palms of his hands gently against Simon’s crotch, revelling in the way the older’s muscles tense under him, “I wanted to do this with you the first time I saw you.” 

It’s a heavy confession and it makes Seonghwa want to crawl into his own skin and hide, but the way Simon’s eyes darken and trail down to Seonghwa’s lips makes him reconsider. 

Simon’s fingers press into the jut of Seonghwa’s hipbones roughly as they kiss again, deeper this time. It’s messy, teeth and tongues clashing, and it steals Seonghwa’s breath away. He finds himself grinding down onto Simon, gasping through the kiss. When they break apart there’s no time left to think.   


Simon stands up before Seonghwa even gets the chance to hold on. Desperately, he scrambles his arms around Simon’s neck; the older just laughs, hoisting Seonghwa up with a huff and finding purchase in his thighs. 

They stumble their way to the bedroom, made messier by the way Simon sucks and bites at Seonghwa’s throat. The younger jolts every time Simon’s teeth graze his skin, whimpering and half moaning. Their bodies are pressed infinitely close, but still not close _enough,_ and the friction burns so much it’s almost unbearable. 

There are tears in Seonghwa’s eyes by the time his back hits the mattress and Simon is looking down at him like he’s the only thing that matters in the whole wide world. He smirks, leaning down over Seonghwa, slipping a hand in under his sweater and tracing warm fingers along the curve of his hips. A second hand joins in soon after, unbuttoning Seonghwa’s pants and sneaking into his boxers. Seonghwa arches his back and whines as Simon cups Seonghwa’s balls through the fabric of his boxers, scrunching his eyes shut in bliss.

He hears Simon’s chuckle, feels the way puffs of his breath hit Seonghwa’s skin as he leaves another bruise below his jawline. 

“You gonna let daddy make you feel good, baby?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a cliffhanger there huh 
> 
> I'm planning on picking this story back up from the bottomless pit that it has fallen into, so there will be more. for now I can't make promises on WHEN the next update will be, but probably no more than 2-3 weeks
> 
> thank you to everyone who has kudos'd, bookmarked or commented on this story, it really means a lot <333
> 
> //suji

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! kudos and comments are much appreciated :)


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